"Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely." ~I Corinthians 13:12
I've been thinking and writing this week about death, grief, legacy, and the firm and secure hope of heaven! You know, just lighthearted stuff. ;-) Honestly, it clarifies and prioritizes so many things when you let your heart go there and dwell on this for a bit. ...I find the promises in the above verse especially comforting the more I've considered them. I believe that when any believer dies, their heart becomes aligned with God and they receive full clarity and peace about all of their relationships.
Please know that your heart matters to God, the wounds you have experienced matter, and your pain and grief is valid. Even with the unwavering hope of seeing them again in heaven, grieving the loss of a loved one is typically a lifelong process for those left behind. And it's quite painful enough all on its own. People who are grieving sometimes struggle with an added layer of guilt over their last words or over certain actions or things they feel were left unsaid. And while I strongly advocate for letting the people around you know you love them and doing whatever you can to live in peace with everyone here, I also believe there is so much grace and comfort available for those who already missed out on that. Death ends an earthly life, not a relationship... It's my belief that if you love someone who is in heaven, they are alive and well today, and their mind is healed and their heart is aligned with God's heart now. This means they understand your perspective and your regrets and exactly what went wrong, and they completely forgive you, love you, and want only God's best for you. Truly!
A friend grieving the loss of her mother told me about another grief epiphany a while back: "She lived exactly as long as she was supposed to." It had an impact, and I remember that moment well. I believe she was right that we can take great comfort in the truth that God is sovereign and He appoints and times things with precision, so your loved ones will (or did) live exactly as long as they are supposed to here. "Every day of my life was recorded in Your book and ordained for me before a single day had passed." -Ps. 139:15 That means they were present for every life event God intended them to be present in person for, and they will likely be among the "great cloud of witnesses" there with you in spirit on future events. God knows our needs and He promises to meet them. His grace will continually be uniquely sufficient for our current situation, and He will always provide the people and resources we need to make it through painful seasons. Often, it's not what we would've wanted or chosen, but God is not indifferent to our pain. He cares about our hearts, and He never abandons us to fend for ourselves. I would emphasize again that I believe there is full clarity and peace for those with Christ in heaven, so even if a loved one passes away without ever knowing or understanding your heart correctly, or if they didn't ever get to know you or see you clearly or love you as well as they should have, that also changes when they enter heaven. So if there's anything you feel you should have said or you wish they knew and understood, consider it heard and valued... and consider yourself deeply known and loved by God and by all your loved ones in heaven!
Because you are.
Broken people and broken connections and painful misunderstandings are healed and repaired there. Forever. There is total freedom from all that hinders us on earth, and only the love of Christ will come between us.
Grand reunions await!
Those things really help me, so I wanted to share them here.
Wishing you so much grace and peace, friends! ❤
I've been thinking and writing this week about death, grief, legacy, and the firm and secure hope of heaven! You know, just lighthearted stuff. ;-) Honestly, it clarifies and prioritizes so many things when you let your heart go there and dwell on this for a bit. ...I find the promises in the above verse especially comforting the more I've considered them. I believe that when any believer dies, their heart becomes aligned with God and they receive full clarity and peace about all of their relationships.
Please know that your heart matters to God, the wounds you have experienced matter, and your pain and grief is valid. Even with the unwavering hope of seeing them again in heaven, grieving the loss of a loved one is typically a lifelong process for those left behind. And it's quite painful enough all on its own. People who are grieving sometimes struggle with an added layer of guilt over their last words or over certain actions or things they feel were left unsaid. And while I strongly advocate for letting the people around you know you love them and doing whatever you can to live in peace with everyone here, I also believe there is so much grace and comfort available for those who already missed out on that. Death ends an earthly life, not a relationship... It's my belief that if you love someone who is in heaven, they are alive and well today, and their mind is healed and their heart is aligned with God's heart now. This means they understand your perspective and your regrets and exactly what went wrong, and they completely forgive you, love you, and want only God's best for you. Truly!
A friend grieving the loss of her mother told me about another grief epiphany a while back: "She lived exactly as long as she was supposed to." It had an impact, and I remember that moment well. I believe she was right that we can take great comfort in the truth that God is sovereign and He appoints and times things with precision, so your loved ones will (or did) live exactly as long as they are supposed to here. "Every day of my life was recorded in Your book and ordained for me before a single day had passed." -Ps. 139:15 That means they were present for every life event God intended them to be present in person for, and they will likely be among the "great cloud of witnesses" there with you in spirit on future events. God knows our needs and He promises to meet them. His grace will continually be uniquely sufficient for our current situation, and He will always provide the people and resources we need to make it through painful seasons. Often, it's not what we would've wanted or chosen, but God is not indifferent to our pain. He cares about our hearts, and He never abandons us to fend for ourselves. I would emphasize again that I believe there is full clarity and peace for those with Christ in heaven, so even if a loved one passes away without ever knowing or understanding your heart correctly, or if they didn't ever get to know you or see you clearly or love you as well as they should have, that also changes when they enter heaven. So if there's anything you feel you should have said or you wish they knew and understood, consider it heard and valued... and consider yourself deeply known and loved by God and by all your loved ones in heaven!
Because you are.
Broken people and broken connections and painful misunderstandings are healed and repaired there. Forever. There is total freedom from all that hinders us on earth, and only the love of Christ will come between us.
Grand reunions await!
Those things really help me, so I wanted to share them here.
Wishing you so much grace and peace, friends! ❤
"For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God Himself and not by human hands... For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. And God has prepared us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a pledge of what is to come...
Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too...
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Look, new things have come. God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between Himself and us, and He has given us the work of making peace between Himself and others. What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And He has given us the work of sharing His message about peace. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ!"
~2 Corinthians 5
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